1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to content management, and more particularly, to providing content to a device, which cannot directly use content provided by a content server.
2. Description of the Related Art
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an eXtensible Markup Language (XML)-based simple content syndication protocol. For example, if a user writes on his/her blog, an updated list is automatically created, resulting in an XML document, which is an RSS feed. Since an XML document created according to an RSS protocol includes information about a blog related to the XML document, a user who wants to read an article in the blog can collect update information of the blog without visiting a specific site by reading the created XML document using an RSS reader. That is, a user can receive the latest information of a favorite blog only if the user registers an RSS feed Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the favorite blog in an RSS reader program. Although a blog is illustrated, a user can receive all content information of a site, which provides an RSS service, using an RSS feed without visiting the site.
Media RSS, which is obtained by extending an RSS protocol, has been suggested to syndicate various types of media, such as TV and video clips and movies, besides audio files and images provided through RSS. Podcast is a representative media syndication using Media RSS.
FIG. 1 is a signaling diagram illustrating a method of syndicating content using RSS.
Referring to FIG. 1, content syndication using RSS is performed between an RSS server 11, an RSS client 12 in which an RSS reader is included, and a mobile device 13 using syndicated content. The mobile device 13 is a device used when content is reproduced in a separate device instead of the RSS client 12.
In operation 101, a user subscribes for content provided by the RSS server 11 using an RSS reader program. As described above, the user can simply subscribe for the content by inputting an RSS feed URL into the RSS reader of the RSS client 12. In general, a personal computer (PC) driving the RSS reader program corresponds to the RSS client 12.
In operation 102, the RSS server 11 provides a list of content stored therein to the RSS client 12 using an XML document, and the RSS client 12 downloads the content requested by the user.
In operation 103, the user can reproduce the content using the mobile device 13 instead of the RSS client 12 by transmitting the downloaded content to a separate content player, such as the mobile device 13. For example, the user can transmit an MP3 audio file to a miniaturized MP3 player using the PC and reproduce the MP3 audio file using the miniaturized MP3 player.
In operation 104, the RSS reader of the RSS client 12 checks whether the content in the RSS server 11 is updated, i.e., whether new content exists.
In operation 105, the RSS client 12 searches the content list of the RSS server 11. If new content exists, the RSS client 12 downloads the new content using the RSS reader, and in operation 106, the RSS client 12 transmits the new content to the mobile device 13 so that the mobile device 13 can reproduce the new content.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, in order for the user to use the content provided by the RSS server 11, the RSS client 12 in which the RSS reader is included is necessary, and a device, such as the mobile device 13, for receiving content from the RSS client 12 is necessary.
Thus, a method of providing content of a specific server, such as the RSS server 11, to devices, which cannot directly use the content provided by the specific server, is required. In particular, when content can be shared with devices in home by connecting the devices to each other via a single network, e.g., using Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), a method of sharing content provided by a content server outside of the home network with the devices belonging to the home network is required.